Stan Collymore has delivered a brutal assessment of Liverpool's ability to compete in the transfer market compared to rivals Manchester City.
The Reds have wasted no time landing PSV Eindhoven forward Cody Gakpo, tying up the £37milllion plus add-ons deal before the January window opened today.
But former Liverpool star Collymore, who himself was the subject of a top-secret move to Anfield back in 1995, has described his former club as 'shopping in Aldi' while the Sky Blues are 'walking straight into Harrod's'.
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Writing in his Sunday column for the Mirror, Collymore said: "Most of all Gakpo’s signing has underlined the fact that Liverpool cannot compete with Manchester City - and maybe in the imminent future Newcastle United - when it comes to the calibre of talent they can sign.
"Gakpo is a quality player with huge potential, much like Darwin Nunez. But you have to wonder if they are players that City would have signed as a primary target. I think no, because of the difference in financial clout. Don’t get me wrong, Liverpool can still buy quality players and their recruitment has been mostly very good for years.
"But the reality is City can sign Haaland and pay him three or four times more with all sorts mentioned around add-ons related to his performances. There are rumours of him being on almost a million a week including those incentives. Incredible. It’s simple. City are guaranteeing players a better pay deal and almost a guarantee of more trophies over the course of a contract.
"With the greatest respect Liverpool are effectively shopping in Lidl or Aldi and City are walking straight into Harrods and buying the very best. Unless you have a bottomless pit of money from an oil-rich state, how can you compete? It is not just Liverpool either. Chelsea and Manchester United are in a similar position."
Collymore, who made the switch to Liverpool from Nottingham Forest for a then club-record £8.5million, believes that City's advantage in the transfer market could jeopardise any move by the Reds for Jude Bellingham in the summer, but still believes that Jurgen Klopp should be looking to bring in at least one more midfielder during the current transfer window, unless he already has positive news on the mooted capture of Borussia Dortmund's England star.
Collymore wrote: "Bringing one in this month, even on loan, would be prudent. Come the end of the season they will need at least two. There were options and I wonder why they didn’t take them. You have to think maybe it’s because they have heard really positive and encouraging noises from Jude Bellingham’s camp.
" Liverpool are playing a very simple, if dangerous, game of chicken. I’m sure he fancies the move and understands the potential for him at Anfield. But, again, there will be clubs who can offer more money. FSG will be aware of the financial reality and to stay in touch they need to come up with different ways to bring in players of the level required to challenge at the top. That’s easier said than done."
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